Te Akau Ellerslie Preview & Weather Watch

Te Akau New Zealand has four horses racing on Saturday 11 March, Auckland Cup Day, at Ellerslie.

As on Friday 10 March the conditions were: cloudy and Dead5, rail out 2.5. 10mls forecast Friday, 15mls forecast race day.

3.37 p.m. R6 11 Latin Rose (5 m Mastercraftsman - Down View) - Michael McNab; coped admirably on slow going with a notable third to stable-mate Splurge (Savabeel) in the Rating 85 1200 metres here on 18 February, running the fastest last 600m (33.7). She had produced a top run for third when resuming here two starts ago in the Rating 85 1200 metres. Stakes placed over the distance for the $100,000 Westbury Stud Classic (Gr. 2, 1400m), a gear change sees blinkers on, and she boasts the right credentials to be competitive at odds. Fixed odds: $12.00 & $3.80.

4.15 p.m. R7 6 Melody Belle (2 f Commands - Meleka Belle) - Michael McNab; pounced on the leaders from fourth to record a stunning victory in the $1,000,000 Karaka Million (Listed, 1200m) here on 29 January and off 41 days she contests the $200,000 Sistema Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m). A winner on debut and naturally talented, coping rain-affected footing is the question mark. In her favour, she won her only trial before racing, on Slow9, both Commands and the dam sire Iffraaj have left progeny that act on wet ground and there is stoutness on her dam side to help tough it out.
Fixed odds: $6.00 & $2.00.

4.15 p.m. R7 8 Gold Fever (2 f Savabeel - Gold Rocks) - Cameron Lammas; recorded a smart win in the Race A Horse with Te Akau 1200 metres on 11 February at Te Rapa, and came off a hot pace, from seventh, to win the $100,000 Matamata Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m) on 25 February at Matamata - justifying a clever plan by trainers Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards. Lammas has been aboard for two of her three wins and takes over from Opie Bosson (suspended until March 18). Her dam recorded two wins on slow ground in Australia, and the steely resolve of this filly could prove a telling factor in handling the footing. Fixed odds: $10.00 & $2.80.

6.06 p.m. R10 13 Tatters (4 m Tavistock - Rattle) - Jason Waddell; travelled on the bridle in fifth and ran home strongly for second in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Rating 65 1600 metres on 22 February at Avondale, with the winner Dreamcrafter (Mastercraftsman) subsequently stakes placed in the Sunline Vase (Gr. 3, 2100m) last Saturday at Ellerslie. Waddell continues his association in the $50,000 Rating 65 1600 metres. She has recorded both her wins on slow footing, raced well here previously, and rates a good each way chance.

The Informant reports:

The Ellerslie track remains in the dead range this afternoon, with all eyes on the rain radar in the countdown to tomorrow's triple Group One raceday.

Minimal rainfall and high winds in the last two days led to an upgrade from Dead6 to Dead5 yesterday afternoon, but MetService is predicting 36mm of rain in Auckland later today. More rain is expected tomorrow morning, easing to showers - some heavy and thundery.

“The track looks great at the moment,” Ellerslie's racing manager Craig Baker said. “It's a Dead5 and we've had basically no rain in the last two days. It was a windy day yesterday and it dried nicely. If we don't get a huge amount more rain, it'll be in great order for tomorrow with the rail out 2.5 metres.

“Now we're just waiting for the rain to come. In saying that, we might not get much at all. It all depends. We'll just have to wait and see what happens in the next 24 hours.”